THE four teams that will have twice-to-beat incentives in the PBA 48th Season Commissioner’s Cup have now been determined following Saturday’s game in Legazpi City.
Defending champion Barangay Ginebra took that ticket after edging NLEX, 103-99, completing the cast of teams that will only need to win once in order to move to the semifinals.
READ Ginebra nips tough NLEX in Legazpi, gains twice-to-beat incentive
The next question that will be answered is which teams are the four facing because even after Saturday’s game, the pairings have yet to be determined. The seedings that are only assured at the moment are NorthPort, which is at No. 6, and Rain or Shine, which is at No. 7.
The final day of the elimination round will be played on Sunday at the Philsports Arena, and the attention will be on the final game of the doubleheader between Phoenix Super LPG and TNT, the result of which will not only dictate if a playoff will be necessary to decide the 8th quarterfinalist, but will also determine the opponents of the four teams come the quarterfinals.
Here’s who the possible opponents of the four teams will be in the next round.
MAGNOLIA CHICKEN TIMPALDOS
The top-seed Hotshots will face either TNT or NLEX, and that won’t necessarily be cast in stone at the end of Sunday’s action.
Magnolia will face TNT outright if the Tropang Giga defeat Phoenix on Sunday.
But if TNT loses, Magnolia will have to wait for a couple more days as the Tropang Giga will go up against NLEX in the battle for the No. 8 spot.
PHOENIX SUPER LPG
The Fuel Masters sit at second place with an 8-2 win-loss slate heading to the TNT game, but the team it will face is still uncertain since its seeding has not been determined yet.
Phoenix will claim the No. 2 spot by beating TNT on Sunday, and will face Rain or Shine in a battle between two of the hottest teams late in the elims of this conference.
But if Phoenix loses to TNT, the Fuel Masters will go down to No. 4 where they will face a dangerous Meralco squad at the start of the playoff round.
SAN MIGUEL
The Beermen are tied for third spot with Barangay Ginebra and Meralco on 8-3 records. As already mentioned in previous stories, SMB has the best quotient among the three teams due to the Beermen's victories over the Gin Kings and the Bolts.
But San Miguel can still grab the No. 2 spot if Phoenix loses to TNT since it also has a better quotient against Phoenix. The Beermen will then face Rain or Shine in the quarterfinals if that happens.
SMB will stay at No. 3 if Phoenix wins, and will play NorthPort in the quarterfinals.
BARANGAY GINEBRA
At the moment, Barangay Ginebra is facing the possibility of being at No. 4, but can still go up to No. 3 if Phoenix loses to TNT due to a better quotient. The Gin Kings will then face NorthPort in the quarterfinals.
Ginebra will stay at No. 4 if Phoenix wins and will take on Meralco in the quarterfinal round.
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